"Don't destroy what made you": PGA Tour veteran on LIV Golf lawsuit

PGA Tour veteran Rocco Mediate believes the players who are attempting to repeal their PGA Tour suspensions shouldn't be allowed back after choosing the LIV Golf tour.

Speaking on the Starter with Taylor Zarzour show on SiriusXM radio, Mediate questioned if anyone would have heard of LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman had it not been for the PGA Tour.

The 59-year-old, who agonisingly lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff at the 2008 US Open, supported the players' decision to play for the $25 million prize funds each week with LIV, but said a legal battle would become "silly."

Mediate described the PGA Tour as "pure competition", a phrase previously used by Jay Monahan and a phrase that hasn't been associated with the LIV Golf tour so far in its short existence.

"So if you were to have your - I don’t know what kind of tour you would call that tour - go ahead. Go ahead and have it. Just don’t try and destroy what made you. That’s what p****s me off to no end," Mediate said.

"The PGA Tour made Greg Norman, plain and simple. If it wasn’t for the PGA Tour, you would never have heard of him. Now that’s no good? I don’t get it. Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t think I am.

"They already knew the rules"@RoccoMediate has some strong opinions about LIV players wanting to play events on the PGA Tour. pic.twitter.com/cAVK0Uq50B

— SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) August 4, 2022

"I hope whoever’s doing this realises how silly this is becoming. I mean if our Tour was no good and you left, what do you want to come back for? I don’t understand.

"If you don’t want to play on our Tour, leave. You can go anytime you want; they’re not stopping them. You just can’t come back. And that’s how it should be.

"The PGA Tour is a pure competition, the place to hang out, it’s as pure as it gets. And it’s been that way for however many years, for a zillion years. That’s how I think it’s going to stay.

"People will realise what’s going on. And like I said, there’s nothing wrong with taking the money.

"Just tell me you’re taking the money and tell the PGA Tour, thank you for giving me a place to go, a place to become what I’ve become and get offered this ridiculous amount of money to go play golf."

Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Ian Poulter are part of the 11-man group who have filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. The lawsuit revealed that Mickelson was banned from the Tour in March.

Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones have a court hearing on Tuesday to discover if they will be allowed to return to the FedEx Cup standings.